Large oyster shell reef completed

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - The largest oyster shell reef in the Choctawhatchee Bay watershed, coming in at 1,700 feet long in Alaqua Bayou, has been completed with the assistance of volunteers and a partnership between the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) of Northwest Florida State College and Eglin Air Force Base. The reef is made up of 13,000 bags of shells collected, and dried, for more than a year from local restaurants. The reef's design is to reduce shoreline erosion, provide habitat for juvenile oysters, and enhance the ecosystem for fish and crustaceans, according to a media release from CBA. Each oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day that is suspected to improve the bayou’s water quality. CBA works to enhance swimmable and fishable waterways through monitoring, education, restoration, and research. (Source: NW Florida Daily News 01/12/18)